Scott Zipadelli says he is losing interest in NASCAR due to family issues - NASCAR news
RAB Racing’s crew chief Scott Zipadelli has confirmed his lack of interest in NASCAR because he needs to spend more time with her step-daughter Torie Costa who is suffering from cancer and is midway through a 54-week cancer treatment programme.
Zipadelli used to be a guy whose personality revolved around his job as a crew chief but over numerous months now, Zipadelli’s job does not define him anymore. Zipadelli is forced to change his priorities because he has to spend more time with Torie in order
to help her cure from cancer.
“I always thought this was everything for myself personally, what I did day-to-day was about me and my career and what made me happy,” Zipadelli told Sporting News. “Now it has nothing to do with what I want. It’s all about taking care of Torie.”
First signs of Torie’s aliment came after her last day at Huntersville Hough High School on June, 6 2011. She woke up the following morning with shortness of breath. Doctors found cancer after diagnosis. Ten days later, Torie’s chemotherapy started. She
is suffering from stage 4 childhood rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of muscular cancer. Although the recovery ratio is a minute less than a third of those diagnosed, still Zipadelli is determined that Torie will cure from the disease and he is willing to go
to any extent to make that happen.
“She’s not in her room feeling sorry for herself. I wouldn’t rule anything out with Torie. She’ll be at her prom if I have to bring her there in a sterilized limousine or helicopter. This is the biggest race of my life and I am desperate to win it,” says
Zipadelli.
Early in December, Torie's 23-treatment radiation program ended at Memorial Sloan-Kattering Cancer Center in New York. The week before Christmas, first of 10 final rounds of chemotherapy started. It is aimed at destroying the tumour in her abdomen and to
kill all cancer cells in the fluid filled in Torie’s chest.
To make things easier for the crew chief and her daughter, Zipadelli’s friends at NASCAR have been constantly supporting him. Zipadelli’s brother, Greg Zipadelli, Competition director of Stewart-Haas Racing talked to Rick Hendrick who had survived from leukemia,
a type of blood or bone marrow cancer. Hendrick in turn had some doctors call with advice.
17-year-old Torie says she feels comfortable and happy when her dad is around. According to Torrie, following her ailment, Zipadelli’s behaviour towards the family is more positive now and he likes spending more time at home. Zipadelli has already missed
one race in the last season, and is bound to miss more in the upcoming season if Torie’s condition demands.
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